The State Academic Bolshoi Theater of Russia, State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater of Russia, or just the Bolshoi Theater is one of the largest in Russia and one of the most significant opera and ballet theaters in the world. The complex of theater buildings is located in the center of Moscow, at the Teatralnaya (Theater) Square.

July 1, 2005 the theater was closed for the long-planned reconstruction. On Friday, October 28, 2011 after six years of large-scale reconstruction the Bolshoi Theater was reopened.

During numerous restoration works original inner face of the Bolshoi Theatre existed in the 19th century was recreated. The elements of the interiors were restored with the help of old photographs and paintings, fragments that survived in the Soviet era. The total cost of the work amounted to about 21 billion rubles or about 700 million USD.

Tags: Moscow city · the Bolshoi Theater

Vasya Lozhkin is Russian artist living in a small town of Solnechnogorsk located in Moskovskaya oblast. In his paintings he portrays parallel world – the world of psychosis, madness, extreme forms of mental states, visions and hallucinations.

If sometimes there are intersections with reality they are very little. This is not a reflection of our lives in a distorting mirror but a frightening fantasy world and the lives of the ghosts. He also likes to paint cats and bunnies.

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Tags: cats · Moskovskaya oblast · paintings · Vasya Lozhkin

The source of the Volga is a monument of nature, unique natural object located in Ostashkov area of Tver oblast in the village Volgoverkhovye about 68 km from Ostashkov town.

The village itself is very small, most houses are abandoned. It is prohibited to drive the car on the territory of the village. Next to the Source you can buy souvenirs, though usually there are not a lot of vendors, as well as tourists. Photos by Alexander Lipilin.

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Tags: Tver oblast · Volga River

For a small fee of 50 Rubles (about 2 USD) you can go up the bell tower of Voznesenskaya Church (Suzdal, Vladimirskaya oblast) and see in detail the origin of well-known Russian bell ringing.

Tags: bell ringing · Suzdal city · Vladimir oblast

Museum of lace is a museum in Vologda city, the branch of Vologda State Historical, Architectural and Art Museum-Reserve. The address: Vologda, Kremlin Square, 12.

The museum is located in the historic center of Vologda in a two-story stone building – an object of cultural heritage of federal importance of the 18th century.

Museum of lace was opened on November 3, 2010. The main exhibition of the museum is devoted to the development of traditional arts and crafts of the Vologda region and world trends of lace from the end of 19th – beginning of 21st centuries.

There are lace shop, cafe, creative studio and classroom on the first floor. In the shop of the museum visitors can buy various lace products (most items are made in one copy).

Tags: lace · museum · Vologda city

One of the most interesting events of recent Kaliningrad city Christmas fair was the reconstruction of assault of ancient Russian fortress Izborsk happened in 1349. The photos were captured by Andrey Rumyantsev.

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Tags: assault · Christmas fair · fortress · Kaliningrad city · reconstruction

I like this classic Soviet animation film of 1982.

Tags: cartoon

The main objective of the Center is the preservation, revival and development of folk arts and crafts, as well as traditional and contemporary forms of arts and crafts. The address of the Center is Khanty-Mansiysk city, Roznina Str., 119. The photos were captured by padunskiy (all pictures are clickable).

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Tags: handicrafts center · Khanty-Mansiysk city

Recently we had the post about Myshkin town window frames. And here is the next part of Russian windows frames photos taken on the streets of Kostroma city. The photos were captured by Ivan Hafizov.

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Tags: Kostroma city · window frames

Flyonovo is a very small village (27 people in 2007) located in Smolensk oblast of Russia (about 14 km from Smolensk city). The village has the only street – Museum Street. Here are the pictures of Flyonovo village places of interest captured by vj-jjic.

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Tags: Flyonovo village · smolensk oblast